Trump reportedly considering China visit
US President Donald Trump is reportedly mulling a visit to China.
On Saturday, Nikkei scooped that American officials are “drawing up plans for President Donald Trump to visit China later this year with a delegation of dozens of CEOs.”
- On Sunday, Kyodo reported that China planned to invite Trump to attend its September parade marking the end of World War II.
Some context: During their phone call in early June, Trump and Xi Jinping invited one another for state visits to their respective countries.
At the time of writing, neither side has officially confirmed any plans for a visit.
Get smart: A state visit by Trump could be a massive stabilizing force for US-China relations.
- As host, China could flatter Trump with the pomp and circumstance he so enjoys, and ensure any facetime between Trump and Xi is carefully managed and cordial.
- Beijing could also hand Trump a major win by crafting a big, shiny package of deals to offer Trump’s America Inc. entourage, similar to Trump’s recent Middle East trip.
Get smarter: September is a long way off and there are plenty of opportunities for a US-China derailment between now and then.
- It’s too soon to conclude that a Sino-American détente is in the offing…but it’s also too soon to conclude that it’s not.